The Melancholy of Ryoko Asakura
by Super Cool Panda
Summary: When Ryoko Asakura returns to North High, Kyon is worried he'll be put in danger again. Nagato assures him that Asakura's programming has been corrected, but he's still got a strange feeling about it.
1. The Concern of Yuki Nagato

**Chapter #1**

**The Concern of Yuki Nagato**

Yuki: *Turn head towards you* the author does not own the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

A girl sits, a light novel open in her hands, her face void of any expression or emotion. The small clubroom giving off a somewhat cosy feeling. Her short purple hair blows in the breeze blowing from the open window.  
Her eyes wander from the words on the page. She looks out of the window across the schoolyard. Watching the various students coming through the gates.  
Suddenly, her head straightens up and she stares straight forward. As if sitting at attention. After a few seconds she nods and mutters.  
"I understand."  
Easing her position, her glance wanders back to the window once again. Nagato began to wonder what would happen next.

I trudged up the mountain towards North High, by bag slung over my shoulder. I began to contemplate what events may occur today. With Haruhi in charge, anything could happen.  
"Well, it's not like my life could be any more hectic," I mumbled.  
I heard footsteps coming towards me and I turned around. Taniguchi was just catching up to me.  
"Yo Kyon, heard the latest?"  
I hadn't yet, and I had to say it intrigued me. "About what?' I asked.  
"Apparently a new girls transferring into our class today," why was I not surprised Taniguchi knew about this before anyone else.  
But no matter who heard it first; when Haruhi hears about this, who knows what'll happen. I just hope she doesn't treat this girl with the same love and attention she treats Asahina with.

Taniguchi and I continued up to the school. Soon enough we were in homeroom. I'd just sat down and was preparing to begin my morning exchange with Haruhi when-  
"Kyon! Did you hear, we're getting and transfer student today."  
She was right up in my face; any closer and we'd be kissing.  
"Yeah I heard, what's the big deal, we've passed the period where they'd be classified as 'mysterious' by you. Can't someone just be normal for once?"  
"Don't you know that any student who changes schools is mysterious? They're bound to have some kind of dark past hidden away in a drawer. And it's up to the SOS Brigade to reveal it."  
I informed Haruhi that maybe they didn't want their private life being blabbed all over school, however I don't think she heard me, like always.  
After the teacher came in, he explained that the new student wouldn't be arriving until after lunch.  
"Now don't you think that's totally weird," Haruhi's voice whispered from behind me. "Why not show up in the morning, why wait until the middle of the day."  
"Maybe she's just had some trouble finding the school," I said, but of course this wasn't good enough for the ever-enthusiastic Haruhi.  
"No way, maybe they forgot to change their appearance so that no-one recognised them off of the 'Most Wanted' lists on the Internet."  
I highly doubt that any of the students at this school read those things, let me rephrase that, any of the _normal_ students, Haruhi's probably got the page favourited and book marked. And if any teacher recognised the kid, I don't really think they'd mention it, probably out of fear.

During lunch I headed to the clubroom. Haruhi had clean up duty. When I arrived I found Nagato there alone. But something was wrong.  
She wasn't sitting and quietly reading like usual. Instead she was standing there waiting for me.  
"Nagato," I said. "Something wrong?"  
"Not yet, however soon maybe," her voice stayed neutral, however I was sure I sensed a discrete tone of worriment.  
"Okay… How so?"  
"The Data Integration Thought Entity has assigned a new back up unit to my mission," she stated.  
"I see," what was she talking about. Suddenly the smiling face of Ryoko Asakura flashed into my head, oh right, suddenly she produced a knife. I quickly stopped visualizing it. "So what's this one like?"  
Nagato opened her mouth to answer when the door flew open. Haruhi's smirking face beamed over the room, her expression changed slightly when she saw how close Nagato and I were. But she quickly dismissed it.  
"Hey Yuki, we're going to be getting a new member later today, make sure everyone's here for the initiation ceremony.."  
"Yes," Nagato nodded, clearly she wouldn't protest.  
"Hang on, what do you mean we're getting a new member?" I asked. "And what's this 'initiation' program?"  
Haruhi smiled. "Whenever a new student comes to North High it's our job to make sure they're welcomed. And what kind of group the SOS Brigade be without an initiation test?"  
I couldn't believe, no sooner would this new girl be introducing herself to our class, than she'd be wisped away by Haruhi into the clubroom, I couldn't believe her sometimes.  
Suddenly Haruhi looked around. "Hey, where's Mikuru and Koizumi?" she asked.  
"Why do you expect me to know?" I snapped, as I _was_ expected to hold all the answers.  
"Asahina came around earlier," Nagato said much to our surprise. "She and Tsuruya are working on an assignment, she can't make it today."  
"Oh," said Haruhi. "Well usually absence is punishable, but I suppose since she's got an acceptable excuse, she can get away with it, this time."  
The door opened again as Itsuki walked in.  
"Asahina-san not here today?"  
"She's doing an assignment," said Haruhi disappointedly putting a bag down, no doubt it contained a new cosplay.  
The SOS Brigade went about its usual activities. Nagato sat reading. Itsuki and I played Othello while Haruhi sat at the computer doing something or other. It didn't quite feel the same without Miss Asahina around.  
After a while Nagato excused herself from the room.  
"It's not like you to leave halfway through lunch," said Haruhi as she opened the door. "You sick or something?"  
Nagato looked at me subtly. "I have something I need to do," she said simply.  
After I was sure it wouldn't seem weird I excused myself. I found Nagato just outside the door.  
"Is this about you're new back up?" I asked.  
Nagato's nod seemed to hold something more.  
"You see, my new back up unit is r-"  
Haruhi suddenly grabbed my collar as the bell rang.  
"Come on Kyon, we gotta meet to the new student."  
I felt like a dog that was caught trying to mark his territory.  
But still, 'really?' 'Really what?' Nagato give me a sign or something, what were you going to say?  
But it was no use, Nagato had already re-entered the clubroom.

Back in the classroom the teacher told us the new student would be entering soon, and that we were all to make her feel welcome.  
The door opened and in walked the girl. Everyone gasped. Long blue hair followed her around.  
"Yes this is the new student," announced the teacher. "Previous North High student, Asakura Ryoko-san."  
"No way!" Taniguchi yelled out.  
Suddenly I realised what Nagato had been trying to tell me, her 'new' back up unit was really, Ryoko Asakura.

Yuki: Next Chapter: 'The Rebirth of Ryoko Asakura;' Read it.


	2. The Rebirth of Ryoko Asakura

**Chapter #2**

**The Rebirth of Ryoko Asakura**

Yuki: *Turn head towards you* the author does not own the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

* * *

Everyone stared as the familiar face stood up the front of the room smiling.  
"It feels so good to be back," she said. "Especially since I had to live so suddenly, I didn't even get a chance to say good bye."  
Most of the boys were rejoicing over the return of Taniguchi's 'A+' girl. I was trying not to let my gapping mouth draw attention.  
Meanwhile Haruhi had other plans.  
"Hey Ryoko," she stood up. "Why'd you leave so suddenly? And not even give anyone your forwarding address. You didn't even say goodbye to your landlord."  
I was shocked, Haruhi was clearly letting Asakura know that we, or at least _she'd_ been around to her condo and investigated her disappearance.  
The teacher told Haruhi, "Sit down and mind your own business!"  
"It's quite alright," said Asakura. "I'll be glad to answer your questions Miss Suzumiya. The reason I left so suddenly was because a relative got very sick and so, instead of having them risk the flight over here to Japan, my family thought it'd be easy if we just went to live there. As to why I never gave anyone my forwarding address, is because I never got the chance, do those answer your queries."  
It seemed to be enough for Haruhi; she thanked Asakura and sat back down. No doubt she'd probably corner her later.  
No one seemed to ask why she'd transferred back in, but I'm sure it was obvious to anyone, and even Haruhi knew it was a sensitive subject.  
"Well Miss Asakura," the teacher continued. "It seems the other students are entirely ready to welcome you back into the school with open arms.

The rest of the day continued on much the same, it was only once classes were over that Haruhi told me to head to the clubroom without her.  
"I need to get Ryoko," she said.  
I was stunned. "You're actually going through with making her a member?"  
"Of course."  
"But," I didn't know what to say. I couldn't just tell her about Nagato, Asahina and Itsuki could I, no, finding out Asakura was an alien like Nagato would only encourage her more. Then I had a thought. "But we already have a mysterious transfer student, and we still haven't gotten to the bottom of Itsuki's story!" for once I was glad we knew so little about the guy.  
Haruhi waved her hand. "Koizumi can wait, besides we still need a popular character, and who was more popular than Asakura in our class before she left?"  
"No one," I sighed.  
"Good," she said taking my sigh as an agreement. "So go to the clubroom and make sure Yuki, Mikuru and Koizumi are ready"

So I headed to the clubroom, glad to be away from the walking headache, Haruhi. When I arrived Nagato, Asahina and Itsuki were already there. Itsuki and Asahina were playing Othello; they didn't seem to notice me much. Nagato looked at me intently upon my entrance. I nodded to let her know I'd found out about Asakura.  
"So, is she fixed?" I asked, sitting down across from her.  
Nagato seemed confused. "If by fixed you mean the corruption in her programming being corrected then yes, she has been."  
I sighed with relief. "So she won't come at me with a knife again?"  
"No, although she can fake emotion she is no longer capable of acting out of her own accord," Nagato reassure me. "You have nothing to worry about."  
That put my mind at ease. Itsuki and Asahina didn't ask anything about what we were speaking about, Nagato may have already explained this to them.  
"Haruhi's planning on making Asakura a member," I told Nagato as I switched on the computer.  
Nagato seemed to hesitate before responding. "I understand, if anything it will be more efficient if the both of us can watch her whilst she participates in club activities." Nagato's lips slightly twitched, was she about to smile?  
I could understand why she would, if Asakura was also watching over Haruhi, it meant that Nagato would be able to pursue other interests, if she had any…

Soon enough Haruhi entered with Asakura following close behind.  
"Everyone, meet our newest member!" she announced.  
Everyone seemed surprised; it was the first time we'd gotten a new member since Koizumi.  
"Ryoko Asakura will be a member of the SOS Brigade starting today!" Haruhi seemed to like announcing that.  
"Thank you for allowing me to join," Asakura thanked Haruhi. "However I must ask, what exactly does your Brigade do?"  
Haruhi turned and smiled. I wonder if the whole reason she made the name so cryptic was just so she could explain it over and over.  
"We, the SOS Brigade, make it our sole duty to find out all of the mysteries of this world, Aliens, Time travellers, Espers and the like, if they so much as sneeze we'll be there with cameras and a tissue.  
Asakura seemed amused by the last bit. "Well I hope I can help out wherever possible."  
I still wasn't sure if we could trust the new Asakura, Nagato had said her programming had been fixed, but what if another glitch occurred?  
"Don't worry," Nagato said quietly to me. "The Data Integration Thought Entity assures me that at the first sign of any abnormal activity they will terminate Ryoko Asakura's Data link."  
She seemed to be trying to put my mind at ease, well it worked somewhat.

After school, Mikuru, Koizumi and Asakura had all gone home. Haruhi, Nagato and myself were alone in the clubroom.  
Without saying a thing Nagato began to pack up her books, and left the room.  
When Haruhi was sure she'd left she suddenly got that look on her face.  
"What are you scheming now?" I asked her.  
Haruhi smirked. "Don't you think it's weird Ryoko mysteriously transferred out."  
"She explained it was because of a relative."  
"Wrong!" Haruhi cross her arms in an 'X' shape. "They wouldn't have just left overnight. It would've taken at least few days to get their visas and such in order. And surely she'd have at least been able to tell Yuki. After all they lived in the same building."  
"Okay, so maybe she lied about that."  
Haruhi wasn't listening. "And now she's mysteriously transferred back in, isn't that just weird."  
"Does it really matter what I say?" I said to her. "After all you never listen."  
"Maybe she committed a crime and had to skip town, and she's been skipping towns ever since. Now she's back here since it's the last place anyone would look."  
It was amazing that she could never hear me. It was as if she was writing a blog, I wondered if she did, might explain where she got her crackpot theories.  
"Well what do you intend to do?" I asked, not expecting an answer.  
She got right down in my face. "What do you expect? I'm gonna investigate!"  
I should've expected that, then I realised. "Wait, that's why you made her a member isn't it? So you could get start investigating her without any suspicions?"  
"You're really sharp," a sarcastic Haruhi sniggered.  
"Well whatever you're gonna do, leave me out of it," I told her.  
What she said next surprised me. "Okay."  
A one-word answer, and she was actually agreeing with me.  
I didn't register it right away, I walked out of the room still trying to figure out what just happened.

* * *

Yuki: Next Chapter: 'The Theory of Itsuki Koizumi;' Read it.


End file.
